


We're Supposed To Do This Together

by stupefied



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 20:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7478697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupefied/pseuds/stupefied
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron and Robert break up, and Liv tries to bring them back together.</p><p>Inspired by the July 2016 spoilers. Short, 2-part fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It turned out a bit more angstsy than I wanted. But it all ends well. Probably.

It had been going so well, but it was inevitable that Robert was going to screw up again. Not that Aaron could blame him, much. With that kid Ryan going to the cops and telling them about Robert’s attempt to bribe him into claiming to be Gordon’s victim, of course Robert was going to do what he could to avoid jail.

“You couldn’t just talk to him, could you?” Aaron yelled at Robert. “You had to kidnap him and lock him up in your boot!”

“I just want him to keep his mouth shut!” Robert answered. “And it worked, didn’t it? He took the pay-off and scarpered!”

“What if he didn’t take the money, then, eh? Were you gonna kill him?” Aaron accused, remembering his experience of the depths Robert would go to protect his secrets. Robert did not answer. 

Aaron was bloody tired of it.

“I did it for you, Aaron!” Robert protested, to which Aaron yelled back, “I never asked you to do anything for me, Robert!”

As if blaming Aaron for his fuck-up with Ryan would make things any better. Aaron had already fallen for that guilt trip, when Robert first got arrested. Gordon definitely needed locking up, but he wasn’t going to do it by lying to the police. That’s why he put a stop to it by telling Ryan to retract his statement. Robert shouldn’t have paid Ryan to lie in the first place, and he’ll be damned if he had to take the responsibility for another one of Robert’s bad decisions. It’s like Robert telling him that it’s his fault Gordon needed to go to prison.

The only thing that Aaron had ever really asked of Robert was to acknowledge his love for him and leave Chrissie, and that Robert couldn’t do. And Robert couldn’t do it because he had all these wants and needs – money, prestige, the appearance of an upstanding, upper class family life – that Aaron really didn’t care for and therefore couldn’t give. 

“If it wasn’t for Liv… !” Robert started to say, but stopped. He knew he was crossing a line, given how protective Aaron was of his sister. Aaron had to agree with him, though. Liv should have just left the whole bloody thing alone.

But that was the point, wasn’t it? If Robert didn’t have too many damned skeletons in his closet, there wouldn’t be anything to dig out – especially by a 14-year old girl who was really only being jealous of her brother’s affection. And who knows what else Aaron didn’t know. Robert knew who shot him, and never told Aaron, despite the fact that he was jailed for it. And Aaron always had the feeling that there were even more things Robert wasn’t telling.

Aaron wanted a simple life. A good job, a family to go home to, someone to enjoy a pint with, and yes, of course, someone to hold him at night. A life that he thought he never could have, that he never deserved. Yet he almost thought he could have that with Robert and Liv. Almost. But this recent drama was just another reminder that maybe this was never really meant to be. Even though Aaron appreciated that Robert had been there for him and supported him throughout his ordeal with Gordon. Even though Aaron was starting to find himself depending on Robert. He still couldn’t bring himself to fully trust him. He couldn’t resist taking digs at Robert, couldn’t help overreact to every issue. Maybe that really meant that he wasn’t over the mess that they had made of everything, and maybe there was no recovering from it all.

And Aaron also had to think of Liv, now. He had to think of what’s best for her, and as much as it hurt, he had to accept that raising her with someone as dangerous and toxic as Robert can be was not going to do.

And so Aaron ended it.

***

The first thing that Liv noticed, entering the Woolpack coming back from school, was Robert nursing a pint in a corner table.

“Hi,” Liv said, walking over. Robert has been nice to her, despite her huge mistake of siccing Ryan at him. They had made a truce, and she really wanted to make the effort to get along.

Robert just gave her a brief glance in response. He looked very unhappy.

“Did you have another fight with my brother?” Liv asked.

Robert just glared, making Liv pause for a bit, but then his look collapsed into something more sad – and that made Liv a bit uncomfortable – what the hell is wrong with these adults?

“Just leave it, Liv,” Robert said, in a low voice. He sounded so defeated. Liv really had no idea what to say, and the whole thing was getting awkward. But she knew what Robert meant to her brother. Even a blind person could see that. And one thing that she learned from Aaron is that one has to own up to one’s mistakes.

“Was it something I did?” Liv was afraid to ask.

“You can say that,” Robert looked at her, but he didn’t seem angry. “It’s about Ryan,” Robert continued, in low voice.

Liv waited for Robert to say more, but he didn’t. It was real awkward now, plus she was feeling guilty. So, she made some excuse about having to do homework and left, thinking about what she can do.

Finn at the bar spoke up as she passed.

“Trouble in paradise?” Liv gave him a glare that was so much like Aaron’s that Finn gave a bit of a start, but she relaxed after a moment.

“They’re having a fight again,” Liv said, glancing at Robert to make sure he didn’t notice them talking. She was sure Robert wouldn’t like it.

Finn nodded for her to come closer, speaking conspiratorially, “You know, Diane had this oldie but goodie trick that you can try …”

***

Liv’s scream rocked the Woolpack, and Aaron almost tripped as he ran down the stairs. He rushed into the back room almost at the same time as Robert.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron and Robert asked, forgetting the fact that they just broke up in their united concern for Liv.

“I… I don’t know… there’s something in there!” Liv said, acting all afraid, pointing towards a cupboard, pushing Aaron towards the kitchen, and then Robert towards Aaron.

“Where?” Aaron moved in the kitchen, opening drawers and cabinets. “What is it, Liv?”

Robert who looked concerned initially, was looking at her strangely, and Liv realized she only had seconds to make her getaway.

“It’s a mouse, or something,” she glanced at the side door, and saw Finn giving her a thumbs-up as he closed and locked it.

“Hey…” Robert started to say, moving towards her, but Liv was too fast for him. She vaulted over the sofa, ran out, dragging the door shut. Finn was there to help her hold it closed until she turned the key.

“What the hell, Liv!” She could tell Aaron was mad. The door muffled his voice, but only by a bit.

“You’re not getting out until you sort this!” Liv said, pleased with herself, giving Finn a high five.

Liv heard Robert say something she couldn’t understand, and then Aaron (“Stay out of it, Robert!”), and then someone was banging on the door. It was Aaron, clearly mad, yelling at her to open it. 

“No, you two have to talk,” Liv said, but the banging only got louder. Liv figured it would stop soon, but it didn’t, and only got louder, and she started getting afraid, and even Finn made an ‘uh-oh’ face at her.

There was another loud thud, it seemed like the door was going to break, and Liv screamed, scared now. “No! You can’t do this! You said we’re a family! You said we’d be together!”

The banging stopped, but Liv didn’t notice, having run out, Finn following her, calling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2.

Robert gazed at Aaron, who had his back to him, both hands and forehead on the door. He had stopped trying to calm him down. They both heard Liv loud and clear. She was scared. Robert could tell that Aaron was feeling guilty, holding back tears. 

“Well, we’re here now,” Robert said, in a careful voice. “Might as well make the most of it.” He was initially unhappy about what Liv did, but now he was grateful, although maybe not for her timing. Too soon. Would have been better if Aaron had a bit more time to calm down. But Robert was not going to let this opportunity pass.

Aaron turned around, made an angry gesture. “Did you put her up to this?” he accused.

“No, Aaron! Of course not!” Robert said. “Why do you always have to make me out to be the bad guy?”

Aaron looked incredulous, narrowed his eyes and tilted his head at him. “Did you seriously just ask me that question?”

“Look, Aaron, I know it was a mistake. I made a big mistake,” Robert said, realizing that maybe he should have used a different word. ‘Mistake’ was such a loaded word for the two of them.

“Yeah,” Aaron said, wiping his hand over his face, “and the mistakes just keep piling up, don’t they?”

Robert suddenly felt tired. He knew abducting Ryan was wrong. Paying him to go away was wrong. Paying him to lie to the police in the first place was wrong, because even if he did it to protect Aaron, it was not the way Aaron wanted it.

And Aaron was right. Ryan was only one of those issues. There were times Robert wished he could undo all of his past mistakes, but he’s realistic and he knows it’s all done now and there’s no helping it. And that’s what really scares the hell out of him. He knew that if Aaron ever found out the true extent of his crimes, Aaron will leave him. And he couldn’t bear that.

So he had to keep things to himself. Hoped that as time goes by all his past baggage would eventually just go away. And if any of them blew up the way it did today, he hoped that he would always find a way to get Aaron back. He wished he could do it differently, but there’s no helping it now.

Robert knew the only way to get Aaron back was by telling the truth about why he decided to abduct Ryan. And he felt stupid about not just saying it right off, when Aaron saw him with Ryan tied up in his car. At least in this case, the truth was easy to admit. This was Aaron, after all. Robert was finding it easier and easier to tell the truth to him. And that was something he was both happy and scared about.

“I’m terrified of going to jail, Aaron,” Robert said. “I know I couldn’t handle it.”

Aaron’s face changed as Robert explained – as he hoped it would. He was forgiven. The guilt that Robert felt from manipulating Aaron like this was immediately replaced by relief. He’ll do anything to keep Aaron in his life.

“I know you are,” Aaron said, looking at him in sympathy. “But we could have found another way, you know.” His voice was not angry anymore. Sad, now, if anything. “I have my sister to look out for, Rob. And I know I’m not a very good role model myself, and so I worry about what it does to her when –”

“When I fuck up like this,” Robert finished for him, with a smile. The smile he only saved for Aaron.

***

Aaron understood Robert. He knew what it felt like, the fear of getting locked up. Knew from experience that those fears were well founded. He felt sorry for him. 

“C'mere,” Aaron said, and pulled in Robert for a hug. “We’ll get through this together, yeah?”

Aaron felt Robert’s sigh of relief on his neck, Robert’s arms around him, holding tight. He couldn’t stay mad at Robert. He loved the man, after all. He was trying to be a good boyfriend to him. He was trying with Liv. But there will always be more, Aaron thought. There will be more shit to come. Robert had too many dangerous secrets, and Aaron knew it was useless to try and drag them out of him. It will all out, eventually. All that shit will come out, and Aaron could only hope that none of it would destroy them.

Right now, he just wanted this fight to be over. And he needed to find Liv.

***

Liv sat at one of the picnic tables in front of the Woolpack, Finn beside her. She had stopped crying as quickly as she can – she was actually embarrassed about it. Only Aaron and Robert had ever really seen her like that. Good thing Finn didn’t say anything stupid or sappy.

“You reckon they’re done talking now?” Finn asked.

“Dunno,” Liv said. “Might not have been a good idea, locking them in.”

“Well, seeing as it’s been some minutes and they aren’t here having a cow at us,” Finn said, “I reckon they actually didn’t break down the door.”

“Yeah,” Liv said.

“We’re a screwed up family, aren’t we?” she said, after a while.

“Everyone’s family is screwed up,” Finn said to her. “But, you know what – Aaron’s trying his best. And Robert, too. You love each other, and that's what matters.”

“I know,” Liv said. “I just wish they wouldn’t fight too much.”

Finn was about to say something, but didn’t because Liv’s phone beeped a text.

Liv pulled out her phone. It was Aaron.

\- I’m sorry. Please come back now

Liv hesitated, then texted back.

\- Not til u make up

She smiled at the response.

\- Rob’s setting the table. Thanks for the curry. We’ll wait for you to eat, ok

She got up to go back inside.

“Thanks,” Liv turned to Finn, smiling. She couldn't hide her happiness. “That was a great idea.”

***

_fin._


End file.
